”SAN” stands for Senior Advocate of Nigeria. It’s a rank specified to a Nigerian lawyer as a mark of professional difference in the exercise of law. It is really the peak that any training law firm can attain in Nigeria. The award of SANship commenced in 1975. But ahead of then, Nigeria experienced adopted the British equivalent called the Queen’s Counsel. Chief F.R.A Williams and Main H.O. Davies had been the 1st two Nigerians to be Queen’s Counsel in 1958. In 1964, the rank was abolished in Nigeria and experienced no alternative until finally 1975.
So there was no position technique for the Nigerian Attorneys in between 1964-1975. As a issue of truth, all the attorneys ended up equivalent then. But on 3rd April, 1975, Main F.R.A Williams and Dr. Nabo Graham-Douglas became the 1st two to be so appointed. This marked the commencing of a new phase in the record of authorized profession in the nation. Nigeria now has about 60,000 lawyers but only 349 of them have been produced Senior Advocates of Nigeria so considerably.
How to become a Senior Advocate of Nigeria is ruled by a established of recommendations. It’s the tips that tell who gets to be a SAN. So what are these pointers?
Rules for Getting Appointed a SAN
There is a committee set up by legislation to make certain that the pointers are strictly observed. The Authorized Practitioners’ Privileges Committee is the committee in dilemma. The award of SANship is a yearly party. It is the duty of any fascinated law firm in the rank to implement to the Committee. The tips which the Committee will take into consideration in buy to figure out who deserves the award or not are these:
1. An applicant should be a Nigerian citizen.
2. He will have to have been practising in Nigeria for 10decades before he can apply.
3. He have to be in comprehensive authorized follow.
4. He have to have distinguished himself as an advocate.
5. He should be a guy of good character.
6. He should have created considerable contribution to the improvement of the authorized profession in Nigeria.
7. At the place of acquiring the software kind, he will have to fork out a non-refundable sum of N200,000. This total could be reviewed at at any time by the Committee.
8. He need to submit to the Committee a checklist of at least 10 judges of outstanding courts ahead of whom he had appeared in contested scenarios of importance. The Committee may choose any 3 of them to give a thorough private reference of the applicant.
9. He will have to also submit a listing of co- legal practitioners with whom he has managed situations. Three of them may perhaps be selected by the Committee to give a confidential reference of the applicant.
10. He must post the particulars of contested cases which he individually taken care of in this buy:
- 8 judgements of the Higher Court,
- 6 judgements of the Court of Charm,
- 3 judgements of the Supreme Courtroom.
11. He ought to have been spending his practising service fees constantly and membership because of to his local department of the Nigeria Bar Affiliation in the previous 10several years previous the application.
12. He must post proof of revenue tax payment for 3 years previous the software.
13. The Committee has a duty to carryout a bodily inspection of the applicant’s chambers to assess the next:
- the size and good quality of the library,
- space and other services readily available,
- quantity and top quality of aid staff members,
- maintenance of right publications of accounts,
- amount of junior legal professionals which should not be less than 5.
In which an applicant is an academic, he has to give the Committee with 20 copies of his released operates in addition to some of the applicable considerations above.
The award of the Senior Advocate of Nigeria is principally for the advocates. The extension of the award to non-courtroom going lawful practitioners like the lecturers is the only exception.
Functions and Positive aspects of Remaining a SAN
Being a SAN brings the followings added benefits:
1. Buy of Priority- A Senior Advocate of Nigeria sits in the inner bar by occupying the entrance row of the seats offered for lawful practitioners in courts. This also extends to the ideal of a SAN to point out his scenarios ahead of other legal professionals no issue their age of qualified qualification.
2. Appearance in Court- A SAN need to usually look in court with a junior law firm. Showing up with a junior attorney may well, on the other hand, be waived in which the matter is a felony 1.
3. The Attractiveness-The gown of a SAN is distinct from that of other lawyers. He wears gown sown a lot more stylishly and built of silk products which helps make the look also additional tasteful. SANs are also called “the silk” simply because of the clothing elements they use.
4. Experienced Fees- A SAN also enjoys a privilege to charge a price bigger than what other attorneys could demand.
Above all the advantages of being a SAN, the sense of psychological fulfillment which arrives with attaining the peak of one’s profession is incomparable. This clarifies why the contest for the rank is always powerful and eager. Calendar year in calendar year out, hundreds if not 1000’s of legal practitioners implement but only a handful is picked out.